Phases

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

        "Again," Yoongi commanded.

   Marianna inhaled a shuddering breath, her hands trembled as she focused on her right palm. A deep crease formed between her brows as, yet another golden orb formed on her open palm. Doing as the mage had instructed, she pushed the circumference of the sphere out until it reached the edges of her hand. The power surged through her, and she could feel the orb trying to grow beyond the parameters she had set for it, but she doubled her focus on that power and held it in place. The outline of the orb quivered as its golden light began to pulse.

        "Hold it," the mage rasped. "Control it."

   Marianna grit her teeth as the power began to surge once more. The edges of the sphere began to grow once more, as it expanded beyond her palm and flashed with a blinding light.

        "Hold it back, Marianna!" Yoongi came up behind her and gripped her elbow. "Focus. Relax and breathe ... you're holding your breath."

   She took another deep breath in through her nose and let it out slowly through her mouth.  Her jaw unclenched and her body relaxed. Power flowed in a steady stream through her limb and into her palm.  The sphere began to shrink once more, its golden sheen becoming a solid and muted glow.  

        "Good," Yoongi muttered. "Now hold it."

        "Yoongi, I can't," her outstretched palm trembled once more. "I can't hold it anymore."

        "You can, sweetheart. You are. Keep it up and, after this, you can have all the hot chocolate you want."

   Marianna giggled and the sphere resting in her palm quivered. She clamped her lips shut and focused once more. The ache in her right arm traveled all the way up into her shoulder. They had been at this for hours. She'd wanted to start her lessons by learning how to control her locator powers, but the mage had insisted that she learn to control her offensive powers first.

        "We have to get that under wraps before you do some serious damage," he had told her.

        Easy for him to say, she thought. He's not the one puking or passing out every time Jimin moves more than three feet away.

        "You're losing focus," Yoongi's voice brought her back to the present and she saw that the orb had once again begun to pulse.

        Dammit. I can't keep this up anymore. She grunted with frustration and the mage's grip on her elbow tightened.  

        "Careful with that anger, sweetheart. It seems to be your trigger."

   Jimin looked up from the scroll he had been studying, his eyes landing on Marianna's face. She could feel him push questioningly at their mental bond and  she shook her head in negation.

       Not now.

        "Yoongs, maybe it's time for a break," he suggested.

   The mage scoffed. "I'll remind you of that the next time she knocks you on your ass."

   Jungkook and Taehyung tittered from their chairs at the library table. Jimin turned his glare from the mage to his two guards and all laughter ceased abruptly. The three of them had spent most of the day combing through books and scrolls in the library, looking for any clue they could find on the two family's histories or even a bit of mythology that might relate to the curse.